Flashing switch



March 1 A. B. scoTT FLASHING SWITCH Filed Sept. 21, 1936 Patented Mar.28, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLASHING SWITCH ApplicationSeptember 21, 1936, Serial No. 101,731

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a flashing lamp such as carried on police carsor ambulances, so as to warn traffic, or to signal to persons in frontof the moving vehicle that carries the lamp.

The general object of the invention is to produce a compact constructionfor supporting the lamp, so that it can be normally held in an inactiveposition out of view, and so constructed that when the lamp is swunginto view it will automatically commence to flash.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a self-containeddevice of this kind in which the means for interrupting the circuitthrough the lamp is housed in the base of the supporting post for thelamp.

A further object of the invention is to provide simple means involvingthe use of an oscillating armature adapted to be carried in. the base ofthe supporting post, and operating in such a way that as the oscillatorswings to and fro, it alternately short circuits the electric currentpassing through the electromagnets that cause the oscillation of thearmature.

Further objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel parts and combination of parts to bedescribed hereinafter, all of which contribute to produce an efficientflashing lamp.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in the followingspecification, While the broad scope of the invention is pointed out inthe appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a vertical section through the upper edge of the dash of anautomobile, and through the adjacent wall of the automobile, and thisview also shows portions of the apparatus in elevation and in section,and the dotted lines inv dicate how the arm carrying the lamp may beswung up to an inactive position. The lamp is shown in full in itsflashing position.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan of the connection between the post andthe movable arm that carries the lamp; this view particularlyillustrates the means for enabling the arm of the lamp to be heldyieldingly in different positions.

Figure 3 is an elevation of the inner end of the post, and showing thecircuit breaking apparatus mounted in the chamber within the post. Thisview also illustrates diagrammatically the wiring of the circuit passingthrough the lamp and the electromagnets.

Referring more particularly to the parts, I indicates a windshield of acar, and 2 indicates a portion of the forward end of the car just abovethe windshield. This is the point at which I prefer to mount theflashing lamp. The support for the lamp proper preferably includes ahorizontal post 3, one end of which is formed integral with a base orhousing 4, said housing preferably being provided with a flange 5enabling the same to be secured readily to the wall 2 by any suitablemeans such as small screws 6. The base or housing 4 is preferably ofsubstantially cylindrical form, and the chamber 1 Within the samecarries the circuit breaking apparatus. This apparatus is preferablymounted on a removable insulating disc 8, which is provided with twoinsulated terminal posts 9 and ID, the former of which has a bindingpost I I that projects through the Wall !2 of the base 4 for theattachment of an electric wire [3 to supply current to the coils l4 and[5 (indicated by dotted lines) of two electromagnets I6 and I7. Thesemagnets have metal bolts l8 passing through the same, operating as coresfor the coils, and the ends of these bolts l8 are secured to an innermetal cross bar l9 attached tothe disc 8, and an outer cross bar 20secured to the bolts I8 by suitable nuts 2|. Within the chamber 1 anddirectly under the outer cross bar 20 an oscillating armature 22 isprovided, said armature consisting of a plate of symmetrical form, whichmay be cast integral with a hub 23 and an arbor 24, said arbor 24 havingan extension 25 beyond the plate rotatably mounted in the outer bar 20,and having its inner end received in a bearing socket in the inner barH) (see Fig. 1). The two electromagnets [6 and I! are preferably mountedso that their axes are parallel with the axis of the cylindrical chamber1, which axis preferably coincides with the longitudinal axis of thepost 3. The arbor or shaft 24 is mounted equidistant between the twoelectromagnets, and the shape of the armature 22 is such that when themagnets are energized the oscillating armature will be swung in thedirection indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3.

In Fig. 3 the circuit is illustrated diagrammatically, extending fromground G through battery B, and thence by wire l3 to the terminal post 9from which the current passes by the lead wire 26 to the coil l4, andthence by the lead wire 2? to the coil I5, and from the coil l5 by leadwire 28 through the terminal post Ml. From this point the current passesby lead wire 29 through the lamp 30, and thence to the ground G In thisview the wire 29 is indicated as a single wire, but on account of thefact that a joint must be employed for enabling the lamp to be swunginto view or out of view, the wire 29 of Fig. 3 must be considered ascomposed of several conductors illustrated in Fig. 1. These conductorswill be described more fully hereinafter.

Referring again to the make-and-break apparatus in the chamber 1, itshould be said that I provide means cooperating with the electromagnets,and the oscillating armature related in such a way that the circuit willbe made and broken alternately, and this means preferably operates insuch a way that the energizing of the coils is periodically arrested byshort circuiting them. In order to accomplish this I prefer to provide aterminal post 9 with resilient means formed of a leaf spring 3| (seeFig. 3) which preferably extends past the shaft 24 over to a point nearthe opposite terminal post [0 and beyond the same, the free end of thesaid spring 3| preferably carrying a contact tip 32. The other terminalpost I0 is provided with a similar resilient means or spring 33 thatextends in the other direction, projecting past the terminal post 9, andbeing provided with a contact tip 34. The oscillating armature 22 isprovided with inwardly extending arms 35 (see Fig. 1) and these arms arepreferably provided with contacts 36. When the electromagnets areenergized they swing the 0scillating armature 22 in the direction of thearrow in Fig. 3, and this swinging movement is accelerated until thearms 35 strike the ends of the springs 3| and 33. When this occurs theelectromagnet coils are short circuited, as the current flows betweenthe terminal posts 9 and Ill directly through the oscillating armature22. As soon as the circuit is broken in this way, the resiliency of thesprings immediately swings the armature 22 in the other direction. Inthis way the lamp 30 will be flashed continuously.

The lamp 30 is movably mounted on the post 3 so that it can be swungdown into view, or swung up into a position of rest, and theconstruction is such that when the lamp is in the position of rest, thecircuit through it will be automatically broken, and when it is swungdown into its active position the circuit will be automaticallycompleted through the lamp. In order to accomplish this, I prefer toprovide a joint connection between the arm 31 that carries the lamp, andthe post 3. The outer end of the post is preferably bifurcated so as toform two forks 38 between which similar forks 39 on the inner end of thearm 31 are received, and these forks are pivotally secured together by athrough bolt 40. Between the forks 39 of the arm an insulating contactdisc 4| is rigidly secured, and on the surface of this disc 4| a longcontact plate in the form of a segment 42 is secured. One end of thissegment is attached to a lead wire 29b that extends down and isconnected electrically to the lamp bulb in the lamp 30, the lamp bulbbeing grounded on one side in the common manner. The contact segment 42extends around through about 90, and when the arm 31 is swung down intothe position illustrated in Fig. 1, it will be in contact with ayielding contact 43 preferably in the form of a ball received in aninsulating sleeve 44 and pressed against the segment by a small coilspring 45, the rear end of said spring being connected to a lead wire29a connected to the terminal post It].

In order to hold the arm 31 yieldingly in its active or inactiveposition, the insulating disc 4| is preferably provided with oppositelydisposed sockets preferably formed by drilling holes 46 through thedisc. From the outer side of each fork 38 of the post, means is providedfor yieldingly pressing detents, preferably in the form of metal balls41, into the sockets formed by the ends of the drilled holes 46. Forthis purpose I prefer to provide spring plates 48 that are held in placeby the bolt 40. There may be as many of the holes 46, and they may beplaced in any position desired so as to enable the arm 31 to be heldyieldingly in any position. However, in the present instance, it ismerely necessary to provide two of these holes 46. As illustrated inFig. 1, the lower one of these holes is in engagement with the balls 47so as to hold the arm 31 in substantially vertical position with thelamp 33 upright and directly back of the windshield An angle of 90separates the two holes 48 so that when the arm 37 is swung up to asubstantially horizontal position as indicated in dotted lines in Fig.1, the other hole 46 will be engaged by the balls so as to hold the armin this position.

The arm 3i is preferably provided with an inner extension piece 49 thatmay be clamped in any desired position by means of a set screw 50 at theouter end of the arm 31. This extension l-Q is also tubular, and theelectric wire 23b passes through the same before entering the rear wallcf the lamp At this point a sufficient loop of wire should be left, soas to permit the extension tongue 49 to be moved outwardly. Thisextension tongue it carries a yoke 52 at its outer end between the forksof which the lamp 30 is mounted on pivot pins 53.

Referring again to Fig. 3, the circuit should include a harm-controlledswitch 54. It will be evident that if the switch 54 is in its closedposi- However, as soon as the lamp arm is swung down to a verticalposition as indicated in full lines in Fig. 1, a circuit will becompleted through the lamp. When this occurs, of course, the circuitbreaking apparatus illustrated in Fig. 3 will come into operation. Theelectromagnets l6 and I? will be energized and cause the oscillatingarmature to oscillate by swinging the same in the direction of the arrowshown in Fig. 3, thereby causing the contacts 35 carried by thearmature, to engage the contacts 34 of the springs 3| and 33, therebyshort circuiting the coils l4 and !5, whereupon the resiliency of thesprings will cause the armature to swing in the opposite direction. Inthis way the lamp will be flashed.

If desired, thin insulating sleeves 55 may be provided around thesprings 3| and 33 at the points where they lie near the terminal posts 9and ill.

In order to regulate the speed of flashing the lamp, I may provide asmall lever 56 mounted friction-tight on one of the bolts IS (see Fig.3). The end of this lever operates as a stop in the path of theoscillator 22. By pushing this lever further to the left, the speed offlashing may be increased.

It is understood that the embodiment of the invention described hereinis only one of the many embodiments this invention may take, and I donot wish to be limited in the practice of the invention, nor in theclaims, to the particular embodiment set forth.

What I claim is:

1. In a switch for a flashing lamp, the cornbination of a pair ofelectro-magnets, an armature mounted to oscillate on an axis betweeniii.)

said magnets operating to swing forward on its axis when the circuit isclosed through the magnets, separable contacts in circuit with the coilsof the electro-magnets, said separable contacts including a resilientmember with a contact constantly in the circuit and in the path of thearmature so as to be struck by the armature in its forward swing, saidarmature operating to carry the current and thereby shortcircuit thecoils through the same, said resilient member operating to give a returnswing to the armature, thereby enabling the contacts to come togetheragain to reclose the circuit through the coils.

2. In a switch for a flashing lamp, the combination of a pair ofelectro-magnets mounted with their axes substantially parallel with eachother, an oscillating armature pivotally mounted to oscillate on an axislocated between said magnets and substantially parallel with the same,means for establishing an electric circuit passing through the coils ofthe said electro-magnets and through the lamp, and means cooperatingwith the electro-magnets and the oscillating armature enabling thearmature to break the circuit and carry the current of the circuit toshort-circuit the coils when the armature swings in one direction andoperating to connect the coils into the circuit when the armature swingsin the other direction.

3. In a switch for a flashing lamp, the combination of a pair ofelectro-magnets, an oscillating armature pivotally mounted to oscillateon an axis between said magnets, a pair of insulated terminal postsmounted between the magnets, said switch operating to carry a circuitpassing through one of said terminal posts and the coils of theelectro-magnets and through the other terminal post, and through thelamp in series; and resilient means connected with said terminal postsengaged by the oscillating armature in its swinging movement in onedirection to short-circuit the coils, said resilient means operating toswing the oscillating armature thereafter in the other direction.

4. In a switch for a flashing lamp, the combination of a pair ofelectro-magnets, an oscillating armature pivotally mounted to oscillateon an axis between said magnets and substantially parallel with thesame, a pair of insulated terminal posts mounted on a line passingbetween said electro-magnets, said switch operating to carry an electriccircuit connecting one of said terminal posts, the coils of saidmagnets, the other terminal post and the lamp, in series, a leaf springattached to each terminal post and projecting over toward the otherterminal post, said oscillating armature having means for engaging saidsprings during its swinging movement in one direction and therebyoperating to carry the current of the circuit and thereby short-circuitthe coils, said springs operating to swing the armature in the oppositedirection when the circuit through the coils has been broken.

ALBERT B. SCOTT.

